BOSTON– Aera Therapeutics, a biotechnology company developing next-generation delivery technologies and precision payloads to unlock the potential of genetic medicines, today announced the appointment of William (Bill) Querbes, Ph.D., as chief scientific officer.
Querbes brings more than 20 years of experience in genetic medicines and drug development, having led cross-functional teams from early discovery through clinical trials. He played a central role in the discovery and early development of GIVLAARI® (givosiran), the first FDA-approved RNAi therapeutic utilizing GalNAc conjugate technology.
“We are excited to welcome Bill to the Aera team. Bill brings deep scientific expertise and a proven track record of advancing new genetic medicines from discovery through clinical development,” said Akin Akinc, Ph.D., chief executive officer of Aera. “His leadership, scientific acumen, and commitment to innovation will be instrumental as we continue to advance our genetic medicine delivery platforms, grow our pipeline, and deliver on our mission to develop transformative genetic medicines across a broad range of modalities and therapeutic areas.”
“Aera’s vision, delivery platforms, and commitment to scientific excellence create a unique opportunity to build a leading genetic medicine pipeline,” said Dr. Querbes. “I am honored to be joining Aera at such an exciting time and I look forward to working with this exceptional team to bring transformative therapies to patients in need.”
Querbes most recently served as senior vice president of therapeutic discovery and translational sciences at Tessera Therapeutics. He previously held senior leadership roles at AVROBIO, Synlogic, and Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, where he contributed to advances in siRNA delivery platforms and therapeutic development. He earned a B.S. in Biology from SUNY Geneseo and a Ph.D. in Biology from Brown University.
